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In this fascinating book, New Yorker business columnist James Surowiecki explores a deceptively simple idea: Large groups of people are smarter than an elite few, no matter how brilliant–better at solving problems, fostering innovation, coming to wise decisions, even predicting the future.... read more

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In this fascinating book, New Yorker business columnist James Surowiecki explores a deceptively simple idea: Large groups of people are smarter than an elite few, no matter how brilliant–better at solving problems, fostering innovation, coming to wise decisions, even predicting the future.... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

In this fascinating book, New Yorker business columnist James Surowiecki explores a deceptively simple idea: Large groups of people are smarter than an elite few, no matter how brilliant–better at solving problems, fostering innovation, coming to wise decisions, even predicting the future.

With boundless erudition and in delightfully clear prose, Surowiecki ranges across fields as diverse as popular culture, psychology, ant biology, behavioral economics, artificial intelligence, military history, and politics to show how this simple idea offers important lessons for how we live our lives, select our leaders, run our companies, and think about our world.

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First Sentence edit see section history

If, years hence, people remember anything about the TV game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, they will probably remember the contestants' panicked phone calls to friends and relatives.

Table of Contents edit see section history

Introduction

PART I

1. The Wisdom of Crowds
2. The Difference Difference Makes: Waggle Dances, the Bay of Pigs, and the Value of Diversity
3. Monkey See, Monkey Do: Imitation, Information Cascades, and Independence
4. Putting the Pieces Together: The CIA, Linux, and the Art of Decentralization
5. Shall We Dance?: Coordination in a Complex World
6. Society Does Exist: Taxes, Tipping, Television, and Trust

PART II

7. Traffic: What We Have Here Is a Failure to Coordinate
8. Science: Collaboration, Competition, and Reputation
9. Committees, Juries, and Teams: The Columbia Disaster and How Small Groups Can Be Made to Work
10. The Company: Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss?
11. Markets: Beauty Contests, Bowling Alleys, and Stock Prices
12. Democracy: Dreams of the Common Good

Acknowledgments
Notes

Series & Lists edit see section history

This book is in INSEAD. (community list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. James Surowiecki (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

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Publication Date: 2004
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Page Count: 271

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More Books Like This edit see section history

   
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  • Click
  • Groundswell

Books That Cite This Book edit see section history

   
  • Everything Is Miscellaneous
  • Reinventing Discovery

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